Year 8 Curriculum Overview

Autumn 1
Ragtime

This half term we will be looking at Ragtime. We will start to learn the features of Ragtime and also learn to play a Ragtime piece The Entertainer. Through this we will improve our keyboard skills, Garageband skills and knowledge of a new genre. After learning to play The Entertainerwe will then remix these into a new genre. Looking at new genres such as dubstep, r'n'b and dance. 

1. Intro to Ragtime

2. Learning to play The Entertainer

3. Recording The Entertainer 

4. Intro to remixing

5. Remixing The Entertainer

6. Listening to remixes

7. Researching the Blues

Your data capture level will be awarded on:

• your performance of The Entertainer
• your composition of The Entertainer remix
• the level of musicality based on answers to questions in the classroom
• your participation in extra-curricular activities as well as in the classroom

Autumn 2
The Blues 

This half term we will be looking at the Blues. We will also be improving our composing skills. Through the 6 weeks we will learn the features of The Blues and put these features into our own compositions. By the end of the term we will have composed our own Blues pieces with our own drumbeats, bass lines, melody and lyrics.

1. Intro to the Blues and composition

2. Drumbeats 

3. 12 bar blues 

4. Bass lines 

5. Lyrics and melody

6. Putting it all together 

7. Listening and levels

Your data capture level will be awarded on:

• your participation in class
• your composition of a blues piece
• the level of musicality based on answers to questions in the classroom
• your participation in extra-curricular activities as well as in the classroom

Spring 1
Film Music

This half term we will be focusing on film music. There are many different genres of films each with their own music cliches. For example romantic films will usually have high string sounds and horror films will use a lot of silence (to make you jump!) We will be looking at Foley (making our own sound effects) and composing to a sequence from an action film. 

1. Intro to film music

2. Time signatures and John Williams

3. Composing for an action film

4. Composing for an action film 2

5. Ben Burtt, Pixar and Foley

6. Foley

Your data capture level will be awarded on:

• your performance of John Williams' Harry Potter theme
• your composition to a sequence of action film
• the level of musicality based on answers to questions in the classroom
• your participation in extra-curricular activities as well as in the classroom

Spring 2
Music for the Moving Image

This half term we will be looking at music for the moving image. We will be using Garageband to compose our own music for a computer game. We will also be looking at cartoons and Mickey-Mousing. Through these 6 weeks we will be improving our composing skills as well as our keyboard skills.  

1. Introduction to Music for the Moving image 

2. Composing for a computer game 

3. Composing for a computer game 2 

4. Music for cartoons & Mickey-mousing

5. Composing for cartoon clips  

6. Listening & levels 

Your data capture level will be awarded on:

• your composition of a piece of music for a computer game
• your composition for a Tom & Jerry clip
• the level of musicality based on answers to questions in the classroom
• your participation in extra-curricular activities as well as in the classroom

Summer 1
Business Project

This half term we will ne embarking on a project to create our own music festival or music studio. We will be Independent Enquirers, researching our ideas. We shall be finding out about all of the work that goes into setting up both festivals and music studios. This includes pricing, staff, building laws, equipment etc. Over the 7 weeks we will make a project webpage and then present our ideas to the class.

Your data capture level will be awarded on:

• your overall project
• your Independent Enquirer skills
• your group work
• your presentation
• the level of musicality based on answers to questions in the classroom
• your participation in extra-curricular activities as well as in the classroom

Summer 2

Music Videos & Pop 

This half term we will be studying the pop music genre. We will look at artists such as Michael Jackson and the music videos that he produced. As well as learning to play a pop song, we shall record it and create our own music videos to go along with the song. By the end of the 6 weeks each group will have recorded and uploaded their own music videos.

1. Intro to Pop Music         

2. Learning to play a pop song         

3. Learning to play a pop song         

4. Recording a pop song         

5. Recording a music video         

6. Recording a music video & uploading         

Your data capture level will be awarded on:

• your performance of a pop song
• your recording of a pop song
• the quality and creativity of your music video
• the level of musicality based on answers to questions in the classroom
• your participation in extra-curricular activities as well as in the classroom